Posted on 10/22/2006 6:39:32 PM PDT by Ottofire
The Seeker's Prayer How should lost people pray in order to be saved?
The Seeker's Prayer by Dr. John Gerstner In volume 3 of The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards John Gerstner, an Edwardian scholar, sets forth Edwards’ doctrine of “seeking.” It is a very helpful section in understanding Jonathan Edwards’ puritan roots in evangelism. Gerstner surveys the doctrine of “seeking” systematically through Edwards’ writings and sermons, even his unpublished sermons that are still not available to the public. In the midst of such a survey, Gerstner created a hypothetical letter for an unregenerate seeker to pray based upon what Edwards was thinking as a result of this compilation of information. The following is that letter. Just in case you are unclear on this, the letter below is an attempt to set forth what Jonathan Edwards would have counseled a seeker to actually pray based on his own ideas, though we do not have anything in his writings practically as such. As you will notice, this prayer would be considered as anti-evangelistic in contemporary circles – the church today repudiates such thoughts and would be abhorred to see it in print in any form. They would never counsel someone to pray a prayer as this. But in light of the survey of puritan teaching, up and through Edwards, this is surely what the puritans did say, did counsel and did preach from their pulpits. The doctrine of seeking is essentially gone from 21st century Christendom, but it needs to be revived. Here we see the outworking of such a doctrine practically. Where are you on the evangelistic theological scale? After reading this prayer, ask yourself “Does this shock you?”
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Dear God, whom I hate with all my being precisely because you hate and threaten me with hell, I hate this punishment perhaps even more than I hate you. Or, maybe I should say that I love my comfort even more than I hate you. For that reason I am asking a favor of you. I want you to make me love you, whom I hate even when I ask this and even more because I have to ask this. I am being frank with you because I know it is no use to be otherwise. You know even better than I how much I hate you and that I love only myself. It is no use for me to pretend to be sincere. I most certainly do not love you and do not want to love you. I hate the thought of loving you but that is what I'm asking because I love myself. If you can answer this 'prayer' I guess the gift of gratitude will come with it and then I will be able to do what I would not think of doing now—thank you for making me love you whom I hate. Amen.
Please, lets keep this a discussion to a low flame, high light level. I know, but TRY...
GPRL Ping! 5 solas! (7 solas to alpha-8-25-02!)
Read again later. [I've to think about this.]
Wow. How many of us can face this truth and claim it?
Here's a good link I found which further discusses Edwards' view of Original Sin...
“I look on the doctrine [of original sin] as of great importance, which every body will doubtless own it is, if it be true. For if the case be such indeed, that all mankind are by nature in a state of total ruin, both with respect to the moral evil of which they are subjects, and the afflictive evil to which they are exposed, the one as the consequence and punishment of the other; then doubtless, the great salvation by Christ stands in direct relation to this ruin, as the remedy to the disease; and the whole Gospel, or doctrine of salvation, must suppose it; and all real belief, or true notion of that gospel, must be built upon it...”Jonathan Edward’s The Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended (1758) was written in response to Dr. John Taylor’s Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin Proposed to a Free and Candid Examination (1741), which presents the Arminian arguments for actual sins rather original sin. Being a thoroughbred Calvinist and “the last Puritan” (as J. I. Packer calls him), Edwards was solidly committed to the Augustinian/ Reformation doctrine of original sin, which in his day as it is in our’s is a major offense to many, if not most, people. Pascal once observed that the doctrine seems an offense to reason but once one accepted it it makes total sense of the entire human condition. John Gertsner comments that Edwards’ work, Original Sin , “may be the most profound articulation and defense of that Reformed doctrine ever written.” Edwards’ reason for going after Taylor was his deep, abiding concern that Taylor’s Arminian theology would destroy the Scriptural basis of the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone:
All I can add is Amen!
Yes, that's the point Gerstner was trying to convey in his paraphrasing of Edwards.
We don't pray in order that we be saved; we pray because we have been saved and we can do no less.
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